I won't bother watching hockey whenever play resumes unless Bettman is fired and the Coyotes are eliminated from the league along with a few other teams. Contraction at this point is necessary due to the sheer problems with revenue sharing when it comes to overall league profits and how much money the profitable teams are sinking into keeping other franchises around that need to just die already. Get rid of a few bleeding arms in the league and take that money that was used for revenue sharing and invest it back into the players, teams, safety and setting up a proper pension program for the players for retirement so that they don't have to worry about financial security and having increased salaries.

Problem is its not that simple. You have things like contracts that are negotiated that will still need to be paid ( you honestly think cities are just going to let you off the hook after building you an arena you promised to use for 25 years?), the number of players goes down, which means less jobs and ticking off the NHLPA. Then you've got to deal with the egg on your face from advertisers, media, etc. because your league is shrinking, thus not grabbing as large of an audience, and so you are worth less to them.

Contraction sounds easy, but its not as simple as just boarding everything up, and moving the players to another team. Basically if you are the NHL it means you've given up on the idea of being a nation wide product in the US and are content with being a regional sport. I would like to be a fly on the wall for that owners debate.

Winter Classic is being cancelled now. Announcement soon. Not that I'm a huge fan of that game but it is another blow to the season. At which point do you believe the whole season will just become a wash? That date has to be approaching.

I mean... I wouldn't call losing the Winter Classic the last nail in the coffin for the season. I guess they're doing this now because of the cost associated with setting up the game + selling ad space. It's usually the highest rated NHL game of the season even after the Stanley Cup final. Chances are advertisers wanted to know if they would be spending the money this year.